Live here and now. A few explanations why this approach is wrong

The article explains:

The difference between “living here and now” and “living one day at a time”
6 steps to living in the here and now and letting go of expectations
A 3-minute meditation break for every day to develop mindfulness
A simple technique for engaging in the moment
10 books for acquiring the skill of living here and now

You are, of course, familiar when experiences associated with the past or expectations of a certain future capture the consciousness, preventing attention from remaining in the present moment. But our whole life is the present moment. Thoughts take us back and forth all the time, but do not allow us to simply be where we are. How to learn to live here and now, being a resident of a modern civilized society? Is this even possible?

Even though this path is unique for everyone, the answer is definitely affirmative: it’s possible! And if you are interested in this in order to save a lot of nerves and gain deep satisfaction with life, then the article is for you. It contains a step-by-step guide with which you can find yourself in real life, in that very present moment. And feel greater joy and peace than ever before.

Wrong interpretation

Let's go back to the Bible, where it says that you need to enjoy all the benefits here and now. Firstly, it said differently. Namely, to be like birds who do not think about tomorrow, but are happy that the Lord gives them food and the opportunity to soar in the skies. The emphasis should be on gratitude and the belief that a conscious person will enjoy all the benefits not only today, but also tomorrow. But this does not mean that “manna from heaven” will rain down. Birds work very hard to be able to fly. They build nests, take care of the chicks and provide food for every day.

Demand the best from and for yourself

My favorite saying is: “The way you do anything is the way you do everything.” I like it for its honesty. If we do something, it matters. And if we are going to do something, we must do it well. A person who says, “I don’t care about this job,” “I don’t care about this phone call,” or “None of this says anything about me,” is not living here and now.

The best approach is to be in the present and do your best.

If you're not going to try your best now, then when will you?

I like Epictetus' call. He survived slavery and with his teaching received recognition from noble Romans and the patronage of the emperor. Despite this, he still pushed himself to be better and live up to his principles:

“How long will you wait to demand the best from yourself? Do you really need a mentor to tell him about your self-improvement? You are no longer a child, but an adult. If you are now careless and lazy, putting off things and time for yourself, you will not notice that you are not moving forward. You will live and die as someone completely ordinary. From now on, decide to live like a person who achieves results and does everything so as not to put off life until later.”

Thinking about the future

You can recall another parable from the Bible, where the Lord gave three people one ruble for a year. One didn’t bring anything after a year because he “spent it wrong,” and the Almighty gave him another chance to earn money. The second one was able to make a profit of five from one ruble, so he received a double profit as a reward for his ability to manage money correctly and work efficiently. The third brought the same ruble, which he tried to keep safe and sound.

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This ruble was taken away from him for his inability to use the resources of today (in other words, the inability to plan future income). The parable demonstrates the Lord's attitude towards people who do not want to do anything at all, but are happy to “celebrate” today, putting everything they have on the line.

Live here and now or one day - what's the difference?

The concept of “being here and now” should not be confused with “today it’s good, but tomorrow the grass won’t grow.” Awareness of every minute of life is a calm contemplation of what is happening inside and outside a person, an understanding that the past no longer exists, and the future does not yet exist.

This position is not an obstacle to analyzing and drawing conclusions from past experience and planning for tomorrow. Those who have at least once used the practice of being present in the moment know that a state arises that is not similar to the habit of living one day at a time.

By focusing on the moment, it is easy to take a step towards awareness. Try it and you will experience sensations you have never known before. They can be described in words:

happiness;
Liberty;
fullness;
joy;
fullness of life.

Osho recommends observing every action performed, tracking every thought born in the mind, understanding every comprehensive desire. It is these states that he calls the key to awareness, balance and harmony.

A life full of suffering

If you ask people who promote the life of today how happy they are, you will probably hear that they do not consider themselves that way. And if they do, approach them after a while and you are guaranteed to hear about disappointment, hopelessness and lack of motivation. This is because life here and now is full of suffering. Almost all people who live by this principle spend an exorbitant amount of money, get into debt and even commit crime. The fact that they were happy for one or several days is remembered not with joy, but with regret that they could not catch the moment of this happiness in time and take advantage of the opportunity provided to think about the future.

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Do it now

Procrastination is the habit of putting things off until the last minute. And most of us do this. We tell ourselves: “I will definitely do it, but not now. I still have time this week.” Or we put things off under the guise of efficiency and tell ourselves that we will do them when we finish others.

As Steven Pressfield writes: “We never say to ourselves, ‘I won’t finish the symphony.’” Instead we say: “I’ll finish the symphony, I’ll just do it tomorrow.”

We may even think that delaying is better because we'll be rested and prepared, but waiting only makes it more likely that we won't do it at all.

You can't predict the future, so "now" is the best time to answer email, read a book, exercise. Don't waste it.

Successful future

American psychologist Welter Michel conducted a study in which several dozen children participated. He handed out marshmallows to the children and told them they could eat them right away or wait until he returned and get twice as many treats. Over time (the study was conducted in the last century), it turned out that children who waited for the psychologist to return became much more successful than those who chose to eat marshmallows right away. This suggests that you should never forget that tomorrow will come. A person who loves life and sees himself as successful in it will never live for today. He will plan, calculate and think not only about what he can do with his life, but also about what he will leave behind.

Take advantage of opportunities

“Some lack the inconstancy to live as they wish,” wrote Seneca. It's easy to get stuck in the mundane, feel terrible about a couple of bad days, live in daily dreams instead of reality.

Life is too short not to change, not to try, not to take risks. It's also too short to do things in ways that no longer work.

If you want to change your life, you have to take action and change something. To travel, you may have to sell something and hit the road. If you want to open a business, you will have to quit your job.

Not in the future, not when someone else takes care of all the details, but now .

Memories of the past

Surely you have examples that could be called illustrative. We are talking about people who were or remain your acquaintances, who preferred to live for today and ended up “with nothing.” If you don’t know anyone like this, you can probably remember characters from movies or the jumping dragonfly from a fable. It should be noted that you need to not only make plans for the future, but also remember the past.

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Living without memories means constantly making the same mistakes, voluntarily depriving yourself of experience, not knowing how to do anything, and trying to forget everything when night falls. Only those people who behaved not very prudently do this, and they want to forget the past. So they find an excuse for themselves to do nothing and try everything here and now, and also not to blush for the wrongdoings that were committed.

A simple technique for engaging in the moment

To engage in the moment here and now, you need to relax and try to switch your attention to something pleasant or funny. You can sing your favorite verse of a song or remember a funny moment in your life. Take a few deep breaths in and out. Start doing the following step by step.

Stage 1. Naming objects.

Slowly lower your eyes and look at the objects around you. Name them. You can add adjectives. This will help give you the feeling of being in a specific place at a given moment in time. It is important not to give subjective assessments, for example, “worn jeans”, “grandmother’s old chest of drawers”. Our assessment can mentally transport us to the past. Only what your eyes can catch, as if taking a photograph, impartially recording what is here and now.

Start the next stage only when you have clearly mastered the first. Perform the following steps simultaneously with the previous one.

Stage 2. Feeling like part of the whole world.

Imagine yourself, clearly listening to all internal processes, you are a living organism, everything inside is working, boiling, working. You feel with every cell of your body subtle odors, the touch of clothing, the pulse in your neck. Feel how your internal organs work. Notice everything that happens around you: snow falls on your cheeks and melts, your nose inhales the cold air of a winter morning, your lungs fill with freshness. Hear birds singing in the distance and the crackle of breaking ice. Observe everything as if you are really feeling what is happening around you for the first time.

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Maria Samarina Founder of the largest online school of mindfulness “Potok”

A poor man is not one who does not have a penny in his pocket, but one who has no dreams.

Socrates

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